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GOD'S SELF-REVELATION
IN EXODUS 34:6-8
J. Carl Laney
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God and the persistence of God.3 Grudem recommends the text for
Scripture memory, but offers no comment or discussion.4 Exodus
34:6-7 has fared slightly better in biblical theologies,5 but it is seldom given detailed attention as a foundational text for one's understanding of the character and attributes of God.
THE CONTEXT OF THE REVELATION (EXOD. 32-33)
God's self-revelation to Moses is set in the context of one of the
spiritual low points in Israel's history. Exodus 32 records how Israel's sin of idolatry resulted in the breaking of the newly established covenant with the Lord. While the Israelites were camped at
Mount Sinai, Moses ascended the mountain to meet with God and
receive the tablets of the Law. When this took longer than expected, the people approached Aaron with a request, "Come, make
us a god who will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who
brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has
become of him" (32:1).
Three failures can be noted here. First, the Israelites failed to
recognize their exclusive allegiance to the Lord, with whom they
had entered into covenant. The first of the Ten Commandments
stated, "You shall have no other gods before Me" (20:3), but the
people demanded of Aaron, "make us gods [Myhilox<] who will go before us." Second, they failed to acknowledge that it was God, not
Moses, who had delivered them from Egypt. In his song Moses had
credited God with Israel's deliverance from Egypt (15:1-18). Now
the Israelites were attributing their deliverance to Moses. Third,
the Israelites failed to rely on Moses, their covenant mediator.
Moses had not told the people when he would return from his
mountaintop meeting with God. So when Moses delayed, they gave
up hope and sought someone else to lead them.
Surprisingly Aaron quickly yielded to public pressure by fashioning a golden calf, which he then presented to the people, "This is
your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt"
(32:4). This calf may be reminiscent of the Apis bull cult, which was
3
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prevalent in Memphis, Egypt. It may also recall Mnevis bull worship in Heliopolis. But these places were some distance from
Goshen, the district where the Israelites lived when in Egypt.
Wood suggests that the bull cults connected with the worship of
Horus more likely influenced Aaron.6 Aaron announced to the people, "Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD" (32:5). These words
suggest that Aaron intended for the image of the calf to represent
Israel's God, Yahweh. Cassuto reasons that Aaron's words were an
unsuccessful attempt to dissuade the Israelites from worshiping
the calf and to encourage them to turn back to the Lord.7
On Mount Sinai God informed Moses of the idolatry that had
taken place in the camp. God charged the people with having "corrupted" themselves (v. 7). Then He threatened to destroy the Israelites, suggesting to Moses that He could raise up a new nation
from his descendants (v. 10). This was a real test for Israel's leader.
Would he choose his own exaltation over Israel's preservation? After all that he had experienced with these rebellious people, one
can imagine that he was tempted to stand back and let God deal
with them. But instead, Moses interceded on behalf of the people,
and so God withheld His judgment (vv. 11-13). The words "the
LORD changed His mind about the harm which He said He would
do to His people" (32:14) are not inconsistent with the doctrine of
God's immutability. Announcements of judgment are frequently
conditional. God sometimes withholds His judgment in response to
repentance or intercession because He is unchanging in His compassion and grace (2 Pet. 3:9).8
Because of Israel's failure in the matter of the golden calf, the
Lord withdrew His presence from among the people in the camp
(Exod. 33:1-7). He promised to send an angel to lead them into the
Promised Land, but God would not go on in the midst of such sinful
covenant-breakers. Moses was no doubt discouraged by Israel's
failure. He wanted to be with God, and yet God had left the camp.
To resolve this situation Moses set up a small tent some distance
from the Israelite camp, where he could meet with God (v. 7).9
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Sheltered there from the desert wind and sun, Moses spent time
alone with the Lord. Whenever Moses entered the tent, the pillar of
cloud descended to the tent entrance and God spoke with Moses (v.
9). This must have been a very special experience for Moses. Reflecting on this time he spent with God, he wrote, "Thus the LORD
used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his
friend" (v. 11). The expression "face to face" (MyniPA-lx, MyniPA) is used five
times in the Old Testament to describe close intimacy between God
and His people (Gen. 32:31; Exod. 33:11; Deut. 34:10; Judg. 6:22;
Ezek. 20:35).
More than anything else, Moses wanted to know and experience God. This desire is clearly reflected in his prayer, "Now therefore, I pray You, if I have found favor in Your sight, let me know
Your ways, that I may know You" (Exod. 33:13). By desiring to
know God's ways Moses wanted to become better acquainted with
His actions, directions, and manner of doing things. He wanted to
know God more intimately, more intelligently, more personally
than ever before. With this desire in mind he said, "I pray You,
show me Your glory" (v. 18). The word dObKA ("glory") is associated
with a verb that means "to be heavy." The noun is sometimes used
with reference to someone's "weighty" reputation or honored position (1 Kings 3:13). The word refers to being "weighty in the sense
of being noteworthy or impressive."10 Similarly it refers to the reality and splendor of God's glorious presence. Sometimes His glory
was made visible in association with the tabernacle or temple
(Exod. 40:34; 1 Kings 8:11; Ezek. 9:3-4).
In Exodus 33:18 Moses was asking for a full self-disclosure of
God's glorious person--a revelation that would sustain and encourage Moses, enabling him to carryon as Israel's leader. But
Moses asked for more than God was willing to grant. The Lord responded by telling Moses that mortal man cannot see God in the
fullness of His divine glory and still survive the experience (v. 20;
see also John 1:18; Col. 1:15). But God graciously accommodated
Himself to Moses by announcing that He would make His "goodness" pass before Moses and would "proclaim" His name in Moses'
presence (Exod. 33:19). Durham suggests that "goodness" (bOF) here
may imply the "beauty" of the Lord and so it anticipated a
Exodus, 430).
10
John N. Oswalt, "dbeKA'" in Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, ed. R.
Larid Harris, Gleason L. Archer Jr., and Bruce K. Waltke (Chicago: Moody, 1980),
1:426.
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theophany.11 But in this case God gave Moses not a vision of how
He appears but a description of what He is. The promise to proclaim His name is probably another way of saying the same thing.
In biblical times a person's "name" (Mwe) was associated with his or
her character and reputation.12 For Yahweh to proclaim His name
meant He would declare or announce His attributes, the essence of
His divine character.
God told Moses that He would place him in the cleft of a rock,
covering him with His hand until He passed by. Then God told
Moses, "I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but
my face shall not be seen" (v. 23). This statement is rich in anthropomorphisms, attributing to God the human features of a hand,
back, and face. Since God does not have a physical body (John
4:24), these terms reveal how intimately and personally God would
disclose Himself to Moses.
THE REVELATION OF GOD'S GLORY (EXOD. 34:6-7)
God fulfilled His promise to give Moses a fresh revelation of His
glory. Once again He called Moses to Mount Sinai (34:1-2), and He
"descended in the cloud and stood there with him" (v. 5). In its
many uses in Exodus and Numbers, the word "cloud" (NnAfA) is associated with and represents God's presence. The last phrase in verse
5, "he called upon the name of the LORD, is somewhat ambiguous.
Did Moses "call upon" the name of Yahweh, or did Yahweh "proclaim" His name? Though the Hebrew verb xrAqA can be translated
either way, it seems preferable in this context to understand that
God proclaimed His name or attributes, for this is what He had
promised Moses (33:19). Davies points out that there is no change
of subject for the verbs "passed by" and "proclaimed" in verse 6. He
translates it this way: "Yahweh passed by before him, and (Yahweh) proclaimed. . . ."13 This interpretation has the support of a
number of noted commentators.14 What follows, as Fretheim notes,
11
John I. Durham, Exodus, Word Biblical Commentary (Waco, TX: Word, 1987),
152.
12
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you'" (3:14). The words "I AM" translate a first-person form of the
Hebrew verb hyAhA ("to be"). The meaning is that God is the selfexistent One. As Allen states, "He exists dependent upon nothing
or no one excepting his own will."21 When God said, "I AM," He was
referring to His active, life-giving existence. The words "I AM" express the meaning of God's name, but they are not the name itself.
God's name is revealed in verse 15 as Yahweh. The Hebrew name
Yahweh is probably best understood as derived from a third-person
form of the Hebrew verb hyAhA ("to be"), emphasizing, as in the case of
"I AM," that He is the self-existent One.
The word lxe is an ancient Semitic term used in the Bible as a
generic name for "god" and as a designation for the true God of Israel.22 Scholars have debated the root meaning of the term. Frequent suggestions for the original meaning include "power" or
"fear," but these proposals are challenged and much disputed.23 It
is rare to find lxe in Scripture without some word or description
that elevates and distinguishes the true God from false deities that
bear the designation "god." Yahweh, the God of Israel, is "the great
lxe" (Jer. 32:18), "the lxe of heaven" (Ps. 136:26), and "the lxe most
high" (Gen. 14:18-19). In Exodus 34:6 lxe is used in connection with
the double name Yahweh. God identified Himself to Moses with the
words "Yahweh, Yahweh God." As the double name provides emphasis, the designation lxe begins to provide a description. The One
speaking to Moses was none other than Yahweh, the true and living God.
THE LIST OF ATTRIBUTES
In critical studies scholars have discussed the origin and use of the
list of characteristics revealed in the proclamation of Yahweh's
name. Dentan concludes that in Exodus 34:6-8 and related passages the entire "formula" was produced by the circle of Israel's
sages and inserted into the Exodus narrative by them in their redaction of the Pentateuch.24 Other scholars have assumed a cultic
origin and liturgical use for this summary of Yahweh's characteris21
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tics.25 Others argue that the origin of the "formula" must be found
in the narrative context of Israel's first disobedience and Yahweh's
judgment. Durham has noted the relationship between God's
dealings with Israel in the Book of Exodus and the things He said
about Himself in His self-revelation. "Yahweh's compassion had
just been demonstrated (32:14), and his tendency to be favorable
was in the process of exercise (33:12-17). His slowness to grow angry had been attested from the moment of Israel's complaint at the
sea (14:11-12), and his unchanging love and reliableness were the
reason Moses had still been able to plead after the terrible cancellation made by the people's disobedience with the calf. His keeping
of unchanging love to the thousands and the removal of their guilt,
their transgression and their sin. . . were in process."26
God had revealed Himself to Moses by His works in relationship with His people. Now in Exodus 34:6-7 He revealed Himself
through words.27
Compassionate. The first thing God revealed about Himself is
that He is compassionate. The word MUHra describes a deep love
rooted in some natural bond.28 This love is usually that of a superior being (God) for an inferior being (a human). The psalmist declared, "Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the
LORD [Yahweh] has compassion [MHara] on those who fear Him" (Ps.
103:13). Girdlestone defines it as expressing "a deep and tender
feeling of compassion, such as is aroused by the sight of weakness
or suffering in those that are dear to us or need our help."29
The Old Testament uses MUHra thirteen times. Twelve of those
occurrences refer to God, and one (Ps. 112:4) refers to man. When
used of God, the word points up the strong bond He has with those
He calls His children. He looks on His people much as mothers and
fathers look on their children--with concern for their needs and
tender feelings of love.
Another concept associated with God's compassion is His un25
W. Beyerlin, Origins and History of the Oldest Sinaitic Tradition (Oxford: Basil
Blackwell, 1965), 137-38; and J. P. Hyatt, Exodus (London: Oliphants, 1971),
322-23.
26
Durham, Exodus, 454.
27
The discussion of these attributes builds on J. Carl Laney, God: Who He Is,
What He Does, How to Know Him Better, Swindoll Leadership Library (Nashville:
Word, 1999), 48-56.
28
L. J. Coppes, "MHarA," in Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, 2:841.
29
R. B. Girdlestone, Synonyms of the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans,
1970), 108.
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45
Ibid, 304.
Charles C. Ryrie, The Grace of God (Chicago: Moody, 1963),9.
46
47
Nelson Glueck, Hesed in the Bible, ed. Eleas L. Epstein, trans. Alfred Gottschalk
(Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1967).
37
K. D. Sakenfeld, The Meaning of Hesed in the Hebrew Bible: A New Inquiry
(Missoula, MT: Scholars, 1978), 1-13.
38
J. B. Scott, NmaxA," in Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, 1:51-52.
48
Ibid., 53.
Cassuto, Exodus, 440.
41
Bush, Exodus, 2:246.
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so that the guilty receive pardon and forgiveness. This use of xWAnA
appears often in requests for forgiveness (Gen. 50:17; Exod. 10:17;
32:32; Num. 14:19; 1 Sam. 15:25; 25:28). As Kaiser notes, "Sin can
be forgiven and forgotten, because it is taken up and carried
away."42
Three words are used to describe the actions and attitudes
that God forgives. The first word, NOfA ("iniquity"), refers to an action
that involves crooked behavior, a turning away from the straight
and narrow way. The second word, fwaP, ("transgressions"), refers to
a breach of relationships, civil or religious, between two parties
(Gen. 31:36; Isa. 58:1). In the context of international relationships
the cognate verb designates a revolt against rulers. In a religious
sense it refers to a rebellion against God's authority. Livingston
regards it as a "collective which denotes the sum of misdeeds and a
fractured relationship."43 The third word, hxAF.AHa ("sin"), is related to
the verb xFAHA, "to miss the way." Missing God's standards or failing
to fulfill His requirements constitutes an act of sin. Cassuto is not
convinced that Moses intended to differentiate between three varieties of sin; he says that the three are synonyms that are used to
cover "the entire range of wrongdoing."44 While this may be the
case, there are significant differences in nuance between the words.
Micah contemplated God's marvelous attribute of forgiveness
when he said, "Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and
passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession. He
does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in unchanging love" (Mic. 7:18).
Not acquitting unrepentant sinners. The next attribute features the other side of God's forgiving grace. Although He delights
in forgiveness, His grace cannot abrogate His justice. Those who
refuse to repent are responsible before the holy God.
The Hebrew text could be translated, "He will most certainly
not acquit [the guilty]." The word translated "acquit" (hqAnA) means
"to be clean, pure, or spotless." Fisher and Waltke note that of the
forty Old Testament occurrences of this verb the vast majority have
an ethical, moral, or forensic connotation.45 In a judicial context it
takes on the meaning "to be acquitted" or "to go unpunished." A
Walter C. Kaiser Jr., xWAnA," in Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, 2:601.
G. H. Livingston, "fwaPA," in ibid., 2:741.
44
Cassuto, Exodus, 440.
45
M. C. Fisher and Bruce K. Waltke, "hqAnA," in Theological Wordbook of the Old
Testament, 2:597.
42
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husband is "acquitted" of any guilt if he, in declaring his wife unfaithful, follows the legal procedures required by law (Num. 5:31).
The word is sometimes used with a negative particle, thereby
yielding a strong warning of accountability and judgment. Proverbs
6:29 declares that the one who commits adultery with his neighbor's wife "will not go unpunished" [hq,nA.yi]. In Exodus 34:7 the verb is
used with the negative xlo, to affirm that God will not regard the
unrepentant sinner as innocent. Because God is holy and just, as
well as loving and forgiving, the unrepentant will face the most
serious consequences of their sin and rebellion. God does not leave
sinners unpunished (Exod. 20:7; Job 9:28; Jer. 30:11).
Not erasing the consequences of sin. The last phrase in God's
self-revelation to Moses reflects on the consequences of sin. While
it is in God's nature to forgive the repentant, it is not in His nature
to remove the natural consequences of foolish and sinful behavior.
Some people assume that the words, "visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and
fourth generations," mean that God punishes children for the sins
of their parents and ancestors. But Ezekiel 18 shows that this is
not the case.
Of course it would be unjust for God to punish children for the
sins of their parents. Yet this is exactly what some people were
saying in Ezekiel's day, as expressed in their proverb, "The fathers
eat the sour grapes, but the children's teeth are set on edge" (Ezek.
18:2). They were saying that in allowing the Babylonians to destroy
Jerusalem, God was punishing the people for the sins of their ancestors. God responded by saying that they should not use that
proverb any more (v. 3). Then He announced, "The person who sins
will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son's iniquity;
the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the
wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself (v. 20). It is also
evident from Deuteronomy 24:16 that God does not hold children
responsible for the sinful actions of their parents.
The fact that God will visit the iniquity of the fathers on the
children" means that children can expect to experience the consequences of the sinful behavior of their parents. While God is willing
to forgive and pardon, He does not interrupt the certain and natural consequences of sinful behavior. And some of these consequences are experienced by children and grandchildren. When a
parent goes to prison, the children suffer loss. Sadly, many children
have suffered the tragic consequences of growing up in a family
with an alcoholic or abusive parent. God does not interrupt the
natural consequences of foolish and sinful actions. Children do reap
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what sinful parents sow. Yet the influence of evil is limited to a few
generations ("to the third and fourth generations"), while God extends His ds,H, ("loyal love") "for thousands."46
THE RESPONSE OF MOSES (EXOD. 34:8)
Earlier in his encounter with God, Moses had prayed, "Show me
Your glory" (Exod. 33:18). In response God revealed Himself to
Moses in a most unique and memorable way. God passed in front of
Moses and proclaimed His own attributes. How did Moses respond
to the Lord's self-revelation? He "made haste to bow low toward the
earth and worship."
When Moses saw God in the light of His self-revelation, he saw
himself with new insight. No longer could Moses stand in God's
presence. And it did not take him a long season of deliberation to
decide what response was appropriate. Having heard God proclaiming His attributes, Moses "made haste" (rhamA) to prostrate
himself on the ground in worship. Good theology is the foundation
and impetus for God-honoring worship. May all who aspire to
proper theology be as quick to understand and practice its implications.
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